Doing Business with USAID

Acquisition and Assistance
This USAID Business site is your one-stop place to find important information to get you started. Worldwide, USAID awards approximately $4 billion dollars each fiscal year in federal contracts and grants. Contracts are awarded primarily for technical assistance but also for commodities and/or equipment, transportation services and occasionally, construction. Grants are awarded for a variety of programs.  Some recurring programs and other grant programs exclusively for Private Voluntary Organizations, and some are for unique non-recurring programs. All contracts and grants issued ultimately support objectives that form part of the U.S. foreign assistance program managed by USAID.

USAID utilizes various acquisition and assistance instruments to implement its activities. Contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and purchase orders are some of the instruments which are negotiated and signed worldwide by USAID. These instruments provide a variety of commodities and technical assistance to support the attainment of the agency's objectives. Acquisition refers to obtaining goods and services, through various types of contracts, for the use or benefit of the Agency. Assistance refers to transferring funds (or other valuables) from USAID to another party for the implementation of programs.

The Central Contractor Registration/Business Partner Network Policy (CCR/BPN) became effective October 1, 2003 for all contractors and recipients conducting business with the federal government.  Please take the time to review this important information and visit the Central Contractor Registration Website at www.ccr.gov.

The CCR/BPN is a new electronic government initiative mandated by the by the President’s Management Agenda requiring a “single face to industry.” You may also register at the above website. This new policy will be reflected on the USAID Agency Website www.usaid.gov and will be noted in all new solicitations. Please email Terry Payne with any additional questions or concerns that you may have concerning CCR/BPN at the following address: tpayne@usaid.gov.

Please visit the USAID Business section frequently for updated postings.

About one half of the contract and grant awards made by USAID are negotiated, issued and administered by our Washington D.C. Office of Procurement. The other half are negotiated, issued, and administered by Contracting and Grant staff located at USAID Missions worldwide. Information regarding the vast majority of our worldwide business opportunities is accessible through this site: www.usaid.gov.

In addition to business opportunities, this site provides all the regulatory and policy information needed for detailed searches to specific questions, as well as general information especially helpful to those who are new to working with USAID.